AS MANY as 45 pro-democracy activists getting jail terms in Hong Kong’s biggest national security case so far, reflects how the Communist China has been actively trying to suppress pro-democracy voices. Though not so for the authoritarian leadership in China, the jail terms to these activists come as a surprise for most of the world. Already, many have started criticising sentencing of pro-democracy activists as an outcome of a sham called trial. It is no secret for the world that independence of Hong Kong and Taiwan constitute the ‘red lines’ for the Communist China. But, of late, anything associated with the word ‘democracy’ has started disturbing the authoritarian leadership structure in China. Hence, when there were massive prodemocracy protests in Hong Kong a few years ago, and there were indications that the protesters were gaining not only sympathy of the people in Hong Kong but also attracting international attention, the Communist leadership in China cracked down on the protesters. During COVID-19 pandemic, attention shifted to dealing with the emergency.

 

Soon after, the party leadership in China faced the heat over rising protests within country. Tensions ran high within China too, as reports coming out indicated pro-democracy voices picking up there. All this had irked China, which responded to pro-democracy protests in Hong Kong with what has become the biggest national security case so far. The world knows the reason for the Communist China’s antipathy towards democracy -- its authoritarianism and party nationalism. However, as has come out in the Hong Kong trial, one is surprised at Beijing’s current leadership’s rattling over the protesters advocating for a ‘revolution’. The world’s democratic countries may not offer reasons and reasoning for ‘revolution’, which for China means violent overthrow of the Government. But, the Communist Party of China opposing ‘revolution’ is something against its own foundational thought. For, it came to power under the leadership of Mao Zedong, who is accused of presiding over death of millions of Chinese people in the name of ‘revolution’.

 

This abhorrence of the current Chinese leadership reflects that it is a power-hungry structure and not true to either its own ideology or to its people. Another aspect of the Hong Kong trial is that a media mogul Mr. Jimmy Lai, founder of ‘Apple Daily’ is facing trial for being supportive of the pro-democracy protesters. The Communist China, which often orchestrates uncalled-for judgments over the internal affairs of other countries, is actively effecting decimation of the media freedom in Hong Kong.

 

In mainland China, the leadership had already done away with media freedom years ago. Now, with measures like shutting down ‘Apple Daily’ and trying Mr. Jimmy Lai, it is practising suppression of freedom. Besides, as has been reported internationally, Mr. Lai’s trial will not have any jury but a panel of three judges picked by national security committee with approval of Hong Kong’s leadership, which owes allegiance to the Chinese leadership. In a way, this constitutes subversion of legal freedoms too in Hong Kong. But, the Communist China must realise that it is only prolonging the rise of democratic voices in mainland China as well as Hong Kong. With every such sham of a trial and incarceration or pre-trial detention of pro-democracy activists and their supporters, it is only sowing the seeds of stronger voices to emerge in favour of democracy. The world has evolved and authoritarianism cannot survive for a long time. Because, by nature, democracy is liberating and authoritarianism is suppressive. There is no use branding the concept of democracy as something alien to collective human consciousness.